Browsing: expensive

When Brazilian winger Denilson made his world record £21.5million move from Sao Paulo to Real Betis shortly before his 21st birthday in 1998, he was heralded as the Selecao’s next superstar.

And while Denilson would go on to win 61 Brazilian caps and make more than 500 career appearances, he never quite reached his potential, with FourFourTwo ranking him at No.1 in a 2015 rundown of disappointing club record signings.

But a 17-year professional career that took in six major tournaments is not bad going for a player who learned his trade on the streets, as he recalls to FourFourTwo.

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Denilson on his journey from the streets to the Selecao

Denilson in action for Brazil (Image credit: Getty)

“What truly fascinated me as a child was the street football, those endless two-versus-two battles, with the goals marked out by a pair of flip-flops,” Denilson tells us.

“Being left-footed, I’d constantly beg to borrow someone else’s left boot. My parents couldn’t afford to keep buying me new pairs, and since I played non-stop, my boots wore out quickly. Sometimes I’d end up playing with one bare right foot and someone else’s boot on my left.

Denilson won 61 caps for Brazil (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Beyond the street kickabouts, I grew up in the varzea – the gritty, uneven dirt pitches of Sao Paulo’s amateur football scene. It’s where I learned two priceless lessons. The first was losing any fear.

“The varzea toughened me up – I was always playing against older, stronger lads and got intimidated a lot in the beginning. Over time, I became braver.

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“Dribbling was my natural weapon, and the more they tried to scare me off, the more I wanted to beat them with the ball at my feet. I got kicked, shoved into walls and fences, was fouled constantly, but kept going.

“Out there, I grew a thick skin, so when you finally get to step into a professional derby under pressure, you’ve already lived that battle countless times. At only 10 years old, I’d already learned not to be intimidated.”

Denilson celebrates with Cafu after scoring for Brazil against Peru in the semi-finals of the 1997 Copa America. (Image credit: Getty Images)

“The second gift that the varzea gave me was ball control. On those rough, bumpy pitches, you needed to have sharp coordination and lightning-quick reactions just to keep a move going.

“You couldn’t trust the ground, so you had to improvise constantly. That chaos helped to sharpen me technically.”

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Money. It’s what makes the world go round. And it’s why, in their first 30 years of existence, Major League Soccer teams have been able to purchase some of the biggest stars in world soccer.

Arguably, the two most influential MLS signings – David Beckham and Lionel Messi – both arrived on free transfers. However, there are plenty of other players who joined MLS clubs for a mouth-watering fee.

We taking a look at the 10 most lucrative transfers in MLS history.

10. Aleksei Miranchuk: $13.8m (Atalanta to Atlanta United)

Alexei Miranchuk high fives his team-mates after scoring for Atlanta in July (Image credit: Kevin C. Cox – Leagues Cup/MLS via Getty Images)

Spoiler alert: six of the 12 most expensive transfers in MLS history have been Atlanta United signings, including Aleksey Miranchuk. After developing his talents at Lokomotiv Moscow, the Russian attacking midfielder spent four years in Serie A with Atalanta and Torino before making the move to Atlanta United on July 30, 2024.

Miranchuk joined Atlanta for $13.8m, according to Transfermarkt, signing a contract until the 2028 MLS season with the option for a further year. He’s emerged as a crucial figure in attack and a creative outlet with 11 goals and 7 assists in his first 45 appearances.

“I think Alexey has settled in now well and shown his quality – he’s essential,” stated Atlanta Utd commentator Jason Longshore to FourFourTwo. “It was too crowded in the areas where he thrived earlier this season, but he’s been so good as of late. He’s been the best player in the attack in 2025. I like the trio with him and Steven Alzate/Bartosz Slisz behind him as a building block for 2026.”

9. Brenner: $13.9m (Sao Paulo to FC Cincinnati)

Brazilian-born Brenner Souza da Silva has been loaned back to FC Cincinnati after requesting a transfer away in 2022 (Image credit: Getty Images)

After developing his skills at Sao Paulo, Brenner made the move to FC Cincinnati for a reported $13.9m, joining the club as a young Designated Player. Whilst he scored on his debut vs Nashville, he struggled to parlay that into consistent form in his debut season, scoring just 8 goals and 1 assist in 33 appearances.

The Brazilian striker found his footing in 2022, however, racking up 18 goals and 6 assists in 32 appearances. After growing unhappy at Cincinnati, he requested a transfer out, only to be denied his move. He remained for the entire season and helped them qualify for the playoffs for the first time before eventually getting his move.

He joined Udinese in the summer of 2023 but was unable to make his mark in Italy, scoring just twice in 19 appearances. It’s why, in August 2025, Brenner was loaned back to Cincinnati with an option to buy, where he’ll be looking to lead them to a deep postseason run.

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8. Myrto Uzuni: $14m (Granada to Austin FC)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

After bouncing around from Albania to Croatia to Hungary, Myrto Uzuni made the move to Spanish club Granada in January 2022. Unable to rescue them from relegation in his first few months, emerged as an attacking talisman and helped them return to LaLiga, racking up 49 goals and 8 assists in 106 matches.

It’s why Austin FC decided to sign him for a club-record $14m in January 2025; despite leaving midway through the season, he finished as the club’s top scorer in the Segunda. The 30-year-old striker struggled to get going in his first few months in Texas, but he’s managed to shake off that rust and get back to his best recently.

Uzuni has scored 7 goals and 3 assists in his first 26 appearances; out of those 10 goal contributions, 7 came since the start of July, with the Albanian stepping up in Brandon Vazquez’s absence and guiding them to the playoff spots.

7. Hirving Lozano: $14m (PSV to San Diego FC)

Hirving Lozano scored for Mexico vs Peru at the Rose Bowl in 2022 (Image credit: Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Eight months before taking to the pitch for their first-ever match, San Diego FC sent shockwaves throughout the USA by announcing the signing of Hirving Lozano for $14m. Over the past decade, Lozano had won the league title in Mexico, the Netherlands, and Italy, whilst he had also made a name for himself with the Mexican national team, writing his name into history with the winning goal vs. reigning champions Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The nimble winger kicked off his MLS journey with a trip to 2024 MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy, where Lozano set up Anders Dreyer’s opening goal in the 52nd minute. Dreyer would complete his brace in extra time to secure a shock 2-0 win, with him and Lozano striking up a superb chemistry against the reigning champions of American soccer.

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He hasn’t looked back since then, with the 30-year-old forward helping San Diego punch above their weight and soar to the top of the Western Conference.

6. Esequiel Barco: $14.4m (Independiente to Atlanta United)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If there’s one thing that Atlanta United know how to do, it’s sign South American players. The Five Stripes won the 2018 MLS Cup in their second season thanks to various South American stars like Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron, and Esequiel Barco, with the latter joining from Independiente just 11 months prior for an MLS record fee of $14.4m.

Barco’s opening season was marred by an act of indiscipline, where he reportedly made romantic overtures towards his teammate Brandon Vazquez’s girlfriend, causing him to be suspended and dropped from the starting line-up. He never quite recovered from that and was unable to showcase his world-class potential in MLS over a consistent period.

The diminutive attacking midfielder struggled to find a consistent position in the team due to injuries, international call-ups, a pandemic and coaching turnover (six different managers in four years). He scored just 19 goals and 18 assists in 107 matches before making the move to River Plate in 2022; two years later, he joined Russian side Spartak Moscow.

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5. Gonzalo Martinez: $17m (River Plate to Atlanta United)

Signed to replace Miguel Almiron, Gonzalo Martinez struggled to live up to the price tag during his time in MLS. Pity. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Barco lasted just a year as the most expensive transfer in MLS history before Gonzalo ‘Pity’ Martinez joined Atlanta United in January 2019 for $17m. However, he was unable to work under his compatriot Tata Martino, who departed the same month for the Mexican national team, and instead struggled to find his footing under Frank de Boer.

Having won the South American Footballer of the Year after leading River Plate to the Copa Libertadores, it seemed that MLS would be a walk in the park for Martinez. Instead, however, Martinez would struggle to fill Almiron’s void in attack, drifting in and out of games, turning over possession with regularity, and struggling to deliver a consistent end product.

Whilst he did manage to win the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup in 2019, he never came close to justifying his price tag and translating those skills to the North American game. He departed in September 2020 and joined Saudi club Al-Nassr, spending three years there before returning to River Plate.

4. Thiago Almada: $16m (Velez Sarsfield to Atlanta United)

A diminutive Argentinian no.10 have lead to inevitable Messi comparisons for Thiago Almada (Image credit: Getty Images)

Unlike Martinez and Barco, Thiago Almada successfully lived up to his billing after joining Atlanta for a league-record $16 million. The Argentine attacking midfielder scored 26 goals and 24 assists in 83 appearances, winning the MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2022 and the MLS Younger Player of the Year in 2023.

He then made the move to Brazil in 2024, where in just a few months, he guided Botafogo to their first Copa Libertadores trophy as well as their first league title in 29 years. Almada then took his talents to Europe in January 2025, joining Lyon. He would last just a couple of months in France before moving to Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid.

After becoming the first active MLS player to win the World Cup in 2022, Thiago Almada is one of the many players in the mix for Argentina’s 2026 World Cup squad alongside the likes of Nico Paz, Marcos Senesi, and Matias Soule. And at just 24 years of age, he’s already being tipped as the long-term successor to Lionel Messi’s throne.

3. Kevin Denkey, $16.2m (Cercle Brugge to FC Cincinnati)

Kevin Denkey: a Togolese forward, with an English name, raised in France, made in Belgium and now playing in the USA (Image credit: Getty Images)

Born in Togo, Kevin Denkey moved to France at 12 years old, staying with his uncle in Paris before moving to Lyon to live with his aunt. He developed at Nimes’ academy before leaving for Belgium in 2021 and joining Cercle Brugge.

Denkey excelled at Brugge with 66 goals and 20 assists in 152 matches, earning the attention of Cincinnati, who shelled out a league-record $16.2 million for the Togolese striker in November 2024. Denkey quickly settled in Ohio, scoring in each of his first four matches.

The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals and 2 assists in 29 appearances for Cincy, elevating them to second in the East and third in the overall standings. Alongside the likes of Evander and Brenner, he looks set to play a pivotal role in attack and help Cincinnati achieve success.

2. Emmanuel Latte Lath: $22m (Middlesbrough to Atlanta United)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Denkey’s record fee would last just three months before being smashed by another West African forward – Emmanuel Latte Lath. Born in the Ivory Coast, Lath moved to Italy at a young age and developed at Atalanta’s academy, undergoing eight different loans before joining Middlesbrough on a permanent deal in 2023.

He didn’t need any time to settle in England’s second tier and quickly thrived in Boro’s attack, finishing as their top scorer in 2023/24 with 18 goals in all competitions. These stellar displays drew the attention of Atlanta United, who signed him for $22 million in February 2025.

Lath kicked off his time in Atlanta with five goals in his first six matches; since then, he’s scored just twice in 21 matches. With a contract until December 2028, there’s still ample time for him to turn it around, but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t quite paid off the investment thus far.

1. Heung-min Son: $26.5 (Tottenham to LAFC)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

From Olivier Giroud to Hugo Lloris to Giorgio Chiellini, LAFC have already signed their fair share of superstars, and the latest to make the move to BMO Stadium is Heung-min Son.

After getting his start in professional soccer in Germany, the South Korean forward made the move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2015, where he helped them go from midtable mediocrity to challenging for silverware, eventually leading them to a first trophy in 17 years.

Having staked his claim as one of the best players in England and a club icon, Son decided to ride off into the sunset and depart Spurs in August 2025, joining LAFC for a league-record $26.5 million. He’s kicked off his time in California with an assist vs. New England and a goal vs. Dallas, and he looks set to play a crucial role in the Black and Gold’s postseason ambitions.

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Whenever I tell my friends that my blade alone cost $180, they cannot believe it. “Thatâ€s so expensive for a piece of wood†is the common response.

Iâ€m from Argentina, and the average salary is only around $400-500 per month. My Fan Zhendong ALC blade costs virtually the same as buying food or renting an apartment for a month.

Table tennis isnâ€t a cheap sport when it comes to equipment, especially if you arenâ€t from a first-world country or a privileged background.

However, if you canâ€t or donâ€t want to spend so much on equipment, you can also build professional-grade rackets for as little as $30, and we have explained how to do so in our guide to saving money when buying table tennis equipment.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are players who want the best of the best out there. They can afford to pay for it, so they might as well get the most expensive equipment out there.

Weâ€ll reveal the cost of the most expensive table tennis blades and rubbers you can buy, and we will create the most expensive table tennis racket possible. Letâ€s begin!

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The Most Expensive Table Tennis Blade You Can Buy

It is wrongly believed that the Zhang Jike Super ZLC is the most expensive table tennis blade available at a retail price of USD $360. Whilst they are one of the best table tennis blades available, there are plenty of table tennis blades you can purchase for more than double that price.

Some blades more expensive than the Zhang Jike are:

The Darker Imperial Hinoki ($416).

This blade is made by Japanese premium manufacturer Darker. They are known for their kiso hinoki blades, and this one is made from 9mm of 400-year-old hinoki trees.

Source: Tabletennis11

Nittaku Eto Blade 2023 Usagi ($641).

This Nittaku blade is a limited edition blade, of which only 200 were produced. The blade itself is also made from hinoki but it features 2 carbon layers and has a handle made of carbon fiber, which drastically reduces the weight of the blade to just 75 grams. It also features premium artwork on the head of the blade and superb packaging.

Source: Tabletennis11

However, the most expensive new blade thatâ€s currently in production is neither a hinoki blade, nor is it from a super expensive, exclusive manufacturer. The most expensive blade is actually made by DHS.

When we think of DHS, we usually think of budget equipment, such as the DHS Hurricane 3 NEO, which is just $20-25.

DHS W968 ($900)

The most expensive table tennis blade you can purchase is the DHS W968 (Hurricane Long 5 National) at USD $900 (EUR 825).

This blade is so special because itâ€s the one Ma Long, the greatest player of all time uses. In fact, itâ€s custom built to suit his game perfectly.

You can purchase the commercial version, the Hurricane Long 5, which is around $160-170.

DHS often produce multiple versions of the same blade, with the most notable example being the Hurricane 3 NEO which has a ‘National†version. This allows them to build more premium versions designed for professional players.

Both blades feature the same composition, but the W968 has better materials and build quality. Ma Long actually uses the W968, so, if you want his exact blade, youâ€ll have to pay more than $800 for it.

However, the W968 is the most expensive blade thatâ€s currently in production. There are even more expensive blades in the second-hand market.

Butterfly Golden Viscaria ($1500)

One of the most sought-after blades in the second-hand market is the Butterfly Golden Viscaria.

The Golden Viscaria is just like a regular Butterfly Viscaria, but it has a golden tag instead of a silver one.

This is a regular Viscaria (which you can find new for around $200):

And this is a Golden Viscaria:

Source: Table Tennis Gan

These Golden Viscarias are the same composition as any regular Viscaria, but theyâ€re said to be heavier and more powerful. Most players on the Chinese National Team used golden Viscarias for a long time.

However, these golden tag Viscarias arenâ€t made anymore, so they can only be bought second-hand.

They are quite hard to find and theyâ€re really special blades, so their prices have shot up over time. Their prices can vary, but theyâ€re usually sold for between (USD) $1000 and $1500.

To sum up, the most expensive table tennis blade currently in production is the DHS W968 at $830, and the most expensive table tennis blade you can purchase second-hand is the Golden Viscaria at $1000-1500.

The World’s Most Expensive Table Tennis Rubbers You Can Buy

The most common misconception is believing that Tenergy rubbers are the most expensive at USD $80 each.

Tenergy rubbers are not even the most expensive Butterfly rubbers ever since the Dignics†release in 2020. Dignics rubbers are super expensive at USD $94 each, but even then, they arenâ€t the most expensive rubbers you can buy.

National Hurricane 3 ($100)

The most expensive table tennis rubbers widely available to purchase are actually made by DHS. These are the National Hurricane 3s. Blue sponge National Hurricane 3 NEOs are USD $100.

But not even these are the most expensive rubbers you can get.

The most expensive rubbers you can buy are indeed blue sponge National Hurricane 3s, but not the regular ones.

DHS released some special edition blue sponge National Hurricanes, the playerâ€s edition Hurricanes.

Ma Long National Hurricane 3 ($120)

You can currently get Ma Long and Fan Zhendongâ€s forehand rubbers for USD $120 each.

These are by far the most expensive rubbers available. However, you shouldnâ€t use them out of the package, or youâ€d be very disappointed.

The sponge hardness of Fan Zhendongâ€s rubber is a whopping 42 degrees (Chinese scale). Itâ€s well over 55 degrees on the ESN scale, maybe even over 60. If you donâ€t know what weâ€re talking about, hereâ€s a guide on how to understand rubber hardness in table tennis.

These rubbers have to be boosted in order to be used, otherwise, theyâ€d be nearly impossible to play with due to their hardness and low throw angle. Youâ€d need a swing speed even greater than Ma Long and Fan Zhendong!

They need to be boosted in order to soften them and give them speed and a higher throw angle. If you want to learn more about the boosting process, we have written a complete guide on how to boost table tennis rubbers.

For Chinese rubbers, most players recommend utilizing Haifu or Dianchi booster.

Supposedly, the top Chinese players utilize the Haifu National booster. You can grab a bottle of Haifu National booster for $50.

Now that we have our forehand rubber ready, itâ€s time for the backhand rubber.

Realistically, it wouldnâ€t be viable to utilize a 42 degrees rubber on the backhand side. It would be too hard.

Top Chinese players utilize either softer National Hurricanes on the backhand side, or Dignics 09c rubbers. Most non-Chinese professional players generally use Dignics rubbers or rubbers from the brand theyâ€re sponsored.

The most expensive backhand rubber that one could realistically use would be a 39-degree National Hurricane blue sponge ($100), also boosted.

The Most Expensive Table Tennis Racket

The most expensive table tennis racket would consist of:

• A Golden Viscaria blade ($1000-1500)
• Ma Long or Fan Zhendongâ€s Hurricane 3 forehand rubber ($120),
• A National Hurricane rubber ($100) on the backhand side.
• Both rubbers should be boosted for optimal results ($50).

The total cost comes out at anywhere between $1270-1770, depending on how much we paid for our Golden Viscaria and including a bottle of Haifu National booster. We didnâ€t include the price of the glue.

If you wanted to buy everything new, then the most expensive table tennis racket would be a DHS W968 with the same rubbers. (Ma Long or Fan Zhendongâ€s forehand rubber, and a softer National Hurricane rubber on the backhand side – both boosted)

The total cost of this setup would be $1030 including a bottle of Haifu National booster and without taking into account the price of the glue.

Conclusion and our opinion

If you asked me, most players wouldnâ€t benefit from utilizing these rackets, as you should choose your racket according to your level and your playing style.

To that end, we have written guides on how to choose the right blade and the ideal rubbers for your level and style of play.

The most expensive rackets we built would be the perfect rackets for a top-level Chinese attacker, but itâ€s just the perfect racket for those players and those players alone.

We recommend informing yourself about the subject of blades and rubbers, asking your coach, and trying out different rackets to determine which ones suit you the most.

Many times, players will splurge on very expensive equipment, only to find out that a heftier price tag doesnâ€t mean the product is inherently better.

What matters is how you perform with the equipment and not its theoretical capabilities, so make sure to set aside a budget and choose something that suits your needs.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

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